


Chronically Underestimated

by 100percentfluffster



Series: InoShikaNar [2]
Category: Naruto
Genre: BAMF Team 10, BAMF Yamanaka Ino, InoShikaNar, M/M, POV Outsider, Pre-relationship NaruShika (they're like 12), Team 10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-22
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22840582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/100percentfluffster/pseuds/100percentfluffster
Summary: Five times Ino, Shikamaru, and Naruto were underestimated, and one time they weren't.Asuma was confused when he got his genin team assignment. For more than one reason. He’d been given the InoShikaCho trio except there was no Cho. Instead Naruto Uzumaki was placed with Nara and Yamanaka.He knew very little about the Nara and Yamanaka clan abilities or how to best use them. Naruto was another story altogether. The jinchuriki of the village with academy records that barely constituted passing. Why would such a weak and unknown variable be put with such powerful clan genin? None of it made sense.ORAn outsider POV where several people are shown just how competent and loyal the InoShikaNar trio can be.
Relationships: Nara Shikamaru/Uzumaki Naruto
Series: InoShikaNar [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1638862
Comments: 70
Kudos: 1194





	Chronically Underestimated

**Author's Note:**

> As promised, the second installment of the InoShikaNar series! Hope you like it, it was fun to write all the different characters. Outsider POV is a weakness of mine.

(1)

Inoichi Yamanaka and Shikaku Nara had the same problem. Their children were acting oddly. 

At first it didn’t register as much. Ino had requested a few books but that was nothing strange. Inoichi would be the first to admit that Ino was more Yamanaka than he would ever be. She thrived on psychological textbooks thicker than his chest and behind that vapid smile she wore around the village, was an intellect that challenged Shikamaru’s. When it came to people that is. 

Shikamaru had started staying out after school for longer than before. Shikaku saw this as an improvement as his son was turning out to be the laziest Nara of history. He was also, according to the record of shogi losses Shikaku was steadily racking up, one of the cleverest. So he wasn’t worried when Shikamaru started leaving the house on the weekends too. If the boy had found something to interest him, Shikaku would only encourage it. 

But soon things started to take an abrupt turn from acting oddly to acting aggressively odd. Shikamaru became withdrawn and argumentative about the village. Asking questions about the hokage and how shinobi politics affected the laws. Shikaku didn’t have answers for most of the questions which only made Shikamaru grow more sullen. 

Ino’s grades had started to slip and she started spending more time with books than she did with her family. On the weekends she would leave early and come back late. A couple weeks back he’d given her the most recent weekly assignment for her clan teachings. The text was a detailed study done by a cousin and Inoichi had picked it for the week because he thought it would interest his daughter. 

It was a theory about how shinobi life affected adolescent growth. Ino always loved to learn about things that were immediately relevant to herself. The end of the week came and Inoichi was drinking tea out on the front deck of their house. Things were quiet until he looked up and found himself faced with an irate Ino with ink stained fingers and a crazed look about her. She shoved the dissertation into his hands and said, “I thought writing one of these was supposed to be an honor to our clan.” 

Inoichi opened it to find every page had been scribbled over with notes and corrections, all in Ino’s loopy handwriting. He could barely read half the printed text underneath it all. He flipped through it and saw not a single page had been unmarred. “Ino, this--” 

She snatched the book from his hands and scowled at it and him in turns. “Don’t touch it, don’t look at it, and for the good of the clan don’t ever teach it again!” She flung it to the ground beside the deck with more force than he’d seen her throw kunai. With a perfectly executed flurry of hand signs and a violent gesture the book caught on fire. Inoichi was uneasily transfixed by the intensity with which she watched those pages burn to ash. She stomped away and left the still mostly on fire sheaf of pages in the dirt. 

Inoichi was speechless. He didn’t even know she could do fire jutsus. He thought over the few snippets of writing he’d gotten a glance of while flipping through the book. 

‘A focused impairment of mental and cognitive connections related to--’ 

‘--amenable and vulnerable to cult-like expectations--’

‘--most susceptible age group being the highly impressionable 6-9, for the--’

‘Violence used as an infrastructural base during education of an adolescent of any age doesn’t just teach it--’

‘Raised with a mortal awareness and diffidence, clan children show the highest rates of ignorance to the changes of moral policies and the intricacies of--’

If Inoichi hadn’t been sitting down already he may have fallen. Ino had a temper that followed a hairline trigger that couldn’t be described or ruled by any pattern. But she rarely got angry. Whatever it was that he just saw… that was fury. And behind it, he closed his eyes to picture his little girl’s burning eyes, he recognized blame. 

Shikaku was becoming familiar with a similar look of betrayal from his own child. Every question he couldn’t answer seemed to push Shikamaru further away. Some of them were questions he simply wasn’t allowed to answer, like his questions about the war or why one of his fellow classmates was treated so differently. But most of them were just beyond him. Things he hadn’t thought about. 

“In what situation would following orders be a crime against the village?” Shikamaru asked one night at dinner. 

“Why would following orders be a crime against the village? Orders are to protect the village at all costs,” Shikaku replied. 

“That’s why I’m asking.” 

“What?” 

“Iruka-sensei says that the whole comes before the individual. That as shinobi we are the shield for the village and those we hold precious.” 

“Umino is the best sensei at the academy for a reason.” 

“I understand that as shinobi we have responsibilities. We have to do without many of the things civilians take for granted and we are ordered to lay down not only our lives but our emotional stability.” 

Shikaku didn’t know what to say. His eleven year old son was speaking about sacrifice like he understood it. 

Shikamaru continued, “But for those who aren’t shinobi...they didn’t make that promise. They know nothing of that responsibility.” 

“We carry the burden for them,” Shikaku said. 

“What if we are the burden?” Shikamaru asked. “What if the responsibility was put on someone who didn’t accept the tenants we live by? Is that a crime?” 

“It depends on how you’re using the term crime.” 

“That doesn’t matter!” Shikamaru insisted. His usually half lidded eyes were wide and beseeching as they looked at his father. Shikaku felt the world tilt a little as he stared back. 

“The Hokage--” Shikaku began unsteadily. 

“The _Hokage_ isn’t beyond the law, is he, dad?” 

Shikaku swallowed and shook his head. 

“So if the Hokage took advantage of a shinobi rule in a non-shinobi situation, would it be wrong? Would following those orders be wrong?” 

“Orders are to be followed--” Shikaku held up a hand to silence his son before he could interrupt. “Orders are to be followed up until the point where they challenge a shinobi’s will of fire. Their nindo. But having a nindo that would interfere with the safety of the village doesn’t follow the shinobi way. It’s a gray area, son.” Shikaku thought momentarily of the late White Fang. 

“So being a shinobi, accepting what is taught to us, it’s a trap.” 

“It’s not a trap, Shikamaru, what are you talking about?” 

“It has to be a trap because if it isn’t…” 

“If it isn't what?” 

“If it isn't, then the shinobi of this village have no honor. Konoha is a scam!” 

Shikamaru flew from his seat and paced in a tense line up and down, in line with the side of the table. After a couple laps his shoulders dropped back down to a slouch and his eyes relaxed around the edges. “What a drag,” he mumbled before plodding slowly upstairs. Shikaku heard the door to his son’s room shut and he let out a heavy breath. 

He needed to talk to someone. 

Inoichi and Shikaku found solace in each other. The changes in their children had been gradual, drawn out over months, but now, just a few weeks from graduation, and they walked around like there were coals under their feet and they rarely spent time at home. 

“They’re in the grips of an existential crisis,” Shikaku said. “All shinobi do it.” 

“Yeah, after they’ve been on enough S missions that the blood all looks the same!” Inoichi protested. “Not freshly twelve! They haven’t had a mission!” 

“They’re too smart for their own good.” 

“They’re too angry is what they are. Ino’s refused to read the last two clan assignments I gave her!” 

Shikaku looked up with interest. “What were they about?” 

“Shinobi philosophy with historical relevance.” 

“Hmm.” 

They were sitting outside on the deck of the Yamanaka main house. The scorch mark Ino’s wrath had left in the dirt was long gone. So was the ignorant calm Inoichi had had that day. 

He was waiting for his daughter to come home. She always spent Saturdays off in the village. Coming home only in time for dinner. She should be returning soon. 

“Shikamaru will participate in training and clan assignments but he’s even more disconnected from it than he was before. At least then he would ask questions to try to get out of the written reports.” 

Shikaku was also waiting for his child, because Shikamaru and Ino were inseparable now. He’d given serious thought to cornering Ino and interrogating her, only his reluctance at pissing off his teammate and best friend stopped him from trying. 

He sat up a little straighter when he noticed the approaching figure of his son. Beside him was Ino, of course, but a third member lagged behind the other two that he couldn’t make out in the building dusk. 

Inoichi commented, “Do they have a shadow?” 

Shikaku just nodded and waited. 

It didn’t take long for the small group to reach them and it took even less time for the two men to recognize their children’s shadow. Naruto Uzumaki.

“Hey, dad,” Ino greeted with a perfect smile and a tilt of her head. She really was the most put together child he’d ever met or seen. He’d also been staring at that picture perfect smile for weeks and weeks. He missed his daughter. 

“Where’ve you been, Ino?” Inoichi asked with a sternness he wasn’t really feeling. 

She just laughed cutely and replied, “Oh, around. I heard of this great new dango place that had opened up down the street from that hairdresser that Miko told us about, and she totally uses the same skin exfoliator as me, so we got to talking and then--” 

“Alright, alright,” Inoichi stopped her with a pained wave of his hand. The lie was well hidden and gut wrenching to watch. 

Shikaku was watching his son and noted the amusement in the curl of Shikamaru’s lips.

“Shikaku-sama,” Ino said, and he turned away to look at the young girl. 

“How long have you known me, Ino? The sama isn’t necessary.” 

She grinned and gave a deep nod, “Of course. I was wondering if Shikamaru could stay for dinner.” Then she turned to her own father and added, “And I was hoping Naruto could stay as well.” 

Inoichi glanced past his daughter at the bedraggled child hiding between and behind both her and Shikamaru. He couldn’t find Naruto’s eyes. His daughter’s however, they were burning much like that book had, and he knew he only had one answer left. “Of course,” he agreed absently. 

“I think I’ll stay as well, if that’s alright with you, Inoichi,” Shikaku inserted. He ignored his son’s glare with experience. 

“I’ll just go tell my wife,” Inoichi said. He slowly stood up, and with one last glance at the three children, stepped inside. The smell of dinner curled out of the door the moment he opened it. 

Shikaku tried to get a good look at Naruto as well, but his son patentedly stood between him and the blond. Curious. Shikamaru was also tense and watching him closely. It was the most attention he’d gotten from the boy in a long time. 

When Inoichi called them in, Shikaku watched the way Ino gently but firmly led Naruto and the way Shikamaru stayed at their backs for the entire short walk. 

Over dinner, similar behavior was displayed. Ino scolded Naruto when he forgot to use silverware and laughed when he told a nonsensical story about ramen. Shikamaru said little but was more engaged in the strange stilted conversation than Shikaku had ever seen him be. Both Ino and Shikamaru were… doting on the boy. 

Inoichi watched Naruto and wondered. There were scabs on the insides of his arms that were in the process of healing. His hair was dirty and tangled in places but his skin looked freshly washed. Naruto talked loudly but not directly to anyone most of the time. He didn’t hold eye contact and it was clear that he was terrified. 

Inoichi started putting the pieces together and by the looks he shared with Shikaku, so was the older Nara. As the dinner progressed Inoichi became more and more fascinated by the entire presentation, but he was also vibrating with impatience for the dinner to end. When it finally did, Ino and Shikamaru spent several minutes saying goodbye to Naruto on the deck. The impatience built inside him like a tea kettle full of steam.

Shikaku slid to sit on the sofa next to Inoichi and they both settled in for the wait. Eventually the children reentered sans Naruto, and Inoichi didn’t hesitate. “Ino, come here, please.” 

“Shikamaru, you too,” Shikaku followed up. 

Shikamaru slouched over to stand in front of his father with an expression that hovered between bored and mulish. Ino skipped to her spot in front of Inoichi and looked at her father with a smile. 

“So…” Inoichi started, suddenly unsure how to proceed, “Naruto, huh?” 

Ino’s smile got wider and he thought it looked a little painful. “He’s sweet, isn’t he?” 

Shikamaru scoffed and said, “He’s a disaster.” 

“Is he now,” Shikaku prompted. 

Ino laughed and it was jarring in the small space. “He’s a little rough around the edges, sure, but there’s good bones there.” 

“What?” Inoichi asked. “Where’s Sakura? She hasn’t been around for dinner in a while.” 

If he hadn’t been looking right at his daughter he wouldn’t have seen her expression crack right down the middle and then come together seamlessly again. She laughed again and replied, “Oh, Sakura’s far too busy these days.” 

“Why’d you invite Uzumaki to dinner?” Shikaku asked. 

Shikamaru shrugged and replied, “I didn’t, Ino did.” 

“Don’t get smart with me.” 

Shikamaru sighed wearily but relented with surprising speed. “He’s my friend.” 

“Is he now?” Shikaku asked. 

Ino moved a little closer to Shikamaru and cleared her throat. “Hey, did you know that Naruto has an apartment all to himself? Isn’t that so cool?” She clasped her hands together in front of her and her eyes sparkled. Inoichi pursed his lips and looked away from Ino’s perfect expression to take in the rest of his daughter’s appearance. 

Her hair was actually dishevelled. Her body was curled toward Shikamaru even as she faced her father. Fingers twitching at her sides and nose scrunching as if she wanted to scratch it. 

“All those books you wanted…” Inoichi began and then wavered. 

“All those questions,” Shikaku stated. 

“None of it was about you, was it? None of this was something _you_ were fighting.” 

“It’s Uzumaki,” Shikaku finished. “Uzumaki is--” 

“Don’t call him that!” Ino scolded. Her pretty smile was gone and her feet had widened into a fighting stance. 

“The name’s been disrespected enough,” Shikamaru agreed. 

“What did you say?” Shikaku asked with a sinking stomach. 

Shikamaru’s eyes widened slightly and then shifted away. “He’s been through a lot,” Shikamaru said. 

“You’ve been angry for months, Ino,” Inoichi said. “Why?” It was more of a plea than a question. 

Ino shared a look with Shikamaru and they both softened around the edges. “Naruto wants to be a ninja more than anything,” she said. There were no fake emotions or even the very real fury now. She just sounded flat. “He idolizes shinobis.” 

“Says he’ll be Hokage one day,” Shikamaru added with a scoff of disbelief that didn’t sound very disbelieving. 

“And it’s hard to watch him. See him with that smile day in and day out. No matter what they say or do, he doesn’t stop smiling. Even through the tears.” 

Shikamaru cleared his throat and shifted. “He asks a lot of questions too. Doesn’t know anything, but it made me start asking questions too.” 

“He is the truth, isn’t he?” Ino asked with no inflection to identify it as a question. “Of this village.” 

“The village that he loves more than I ever could,” Shikamaru said. 

Inoichi and Shikaku both sat in stunned silence. Orders that had made them squirm with guilt and discomfort twelve years ago, orders they had long stopped questioning. And tonight, sat at the dinner table across from them that night, had been the truth of those orders. 

“Ino,” Inoichi called to grab her attention. “You can have all the books you want, sweetheart. We can pack you two lunches, he can sleep here, I don’t care, Ino. But we’re a family, we do things together.” 

“Naruto is family,” Ino insisted even as tears began to slip down her cheeks. 

Inoichi just nodded and agreed, “Okay. He’s welcome here, Ino. Did you really think I would say otherwise?” 

She sniffled and shrugged despondently. “I don’t know. I’ve been confused. He’s so young and small and… he doesn’t question the right things, daddy.” 

“You’re young too.” 

“Not like him.” 

“Okay.” Inoichi reached forward and took his daughter’s shaking hand. “Did the books help?” 

Ino grinned a little and said, “Some of them.” 

“He shouldn’t have needed the books,” Shikamaru interjected. 

“Shika, look at me,” Shikaku demanded. 

His son obeyed. He usually obeyed, but slowly. There was nothing slow about this moment. 

His words left him and Shikaku blurted out the first thing on his mind, “It’s strange he’s a blond and not a redhead isn’t it?” 

Shikamaru’s eyes widened and then narrowed and then widened again. It was comical looking but Shikaku couldn’t appreciate it for the panicked feeling in his chest. 

“What?” Shikamaru gasped out. 

“It’s nothing.” Shikaku could stab himself in the leg for endangering his son like that. “But Shika,” Shikaku paused, he didn’t know how to say what he wanted to say. “A shinobi’s honor comes from his own actions, not the orders of others. And the village’s faults do not reflect on everyone within its walls.” 

Shikaku halted once again. Damn all these hidden words, this was a Yamanaka speciality, not his. Shikamaru put a hand on his shoulder and he looked up into eyes that looked just like his own. “Thanks, dad,” Shikamaru said with a genuine smile. 

Shikaku just cleared his throat and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah, well, this doesn’t mean I’ll put up with your attitude any longer.” 

Shikamaru laughed and looked over at Ino, who was already turning to do the same. “That’s okay. The closer graduation comes, the calmer I feel.” 

“Naruto’s infectious that way,” Ino commented. “He grew up in this village, and if he can live happily here, with the shinobi lifestyle, then it can’t be all bad, right?” 

Shikamaru gave a shrug and just replied, “Troublesome.” 

“You’re really taken with this kid, aren’t you?” Inoichi asked. He exchanged a look with Shikaku as they silently acknowledged their combined surprise. Shikamaru and Ino didn’t care easily. Inoichi was surprised Ino had it in her to get so attached to someone outside the clan. Shikaku didn’t think Shikamaru was willing to work this hard. Being Naruto’s friend couldn’t be the easiest thing in the world. 

“Yeah,” Ino replied. 

“We’ve rigged the genin team assignments so he’ll be our third member, but Iruka-sensei is suspicious of me so it would help if you put in a good word,” Shikamaru confessed nonchalantly. 

Shikaku didn’t have it in him to be surprised anymore. 

“Sure thing,” Inoichi said. 

  
  
  
  
  


(2)

Asuma was confused when he got his genin team assignment. For more than one reason. He’d been given the InoShikaCho trio except there was no Cho. Instead Naruto Uzumaki was placed with Nara and Yamanaka. And why was Asuma picked to teach them anyway? 

The InoShikaCho trios have always been formidable and effective infiltration teams. They were trained in information retrieval, silent assassination, and capture missions. None of which were Asuma’s strengths. He knew very little about the Nara and Yamanaka clan abilities or how to best use them. 

Naruto was another story altogether. The jinchuriki of the village with academy records that barely constituted passing. Why would such a weak and unknown variable be put with such powerful clan genin? None of it made sense. 

When he met up with the three, for the preliminary test that would decide whether they’d be genin or go back to the academy, he didn’t know what to expect. He trained them as a group, going through what they knew and what they thought their strengths and weaknesses were. Sparred with them and had them show what jutsu they knew. 

After training he took them each aside and asked them one question. He told them all that only two of them could stay as genin and the third would be sent back to school and they had to pick who that would be. 

“Who should go back to the academy?” he asked. 

Ino had just looked at him for an uncomfortably long time with those creepy blue eyes. Eventually she said, “You’re lying.” 

“What?” he asked. 

“I know you’re lying, Asuma-sensei, I’m just trying to figure out why.” Ino played with the end of her ponytail and began thinking out loud. “You said one of us had to go back to the academy...lie. You told me to pick the weakest link but you showed a slight discomfort over that order, your body leaned back just slightly as if to distance yourself from me and you switched your cigarette from the one side to the other. I’ve noticed you do that when you’re surprised or uncomfortable. You did that when Naruto made all those shadow clones and you did that when Shikamaru managed to outmaneuver you.” 

Asuma cleared his throat and managed to catch himself before he shifted said cigarette once again. Ino just smiled at him like she knew. 

“So you don’t want me to choose. I also don’t want to choose. Shikamaru, Naruto, and I work best together. And I think that’s the point you’re trying to make...in a weird roundabout way.” She shrugged delicately and added, “So no, I won’t choose.” 

Asuma had just smiled through his discomfort and dismissed her. 

Shikamaru’s response was less unsettling but more frustrating. 

“Who should go back to the academy?” 

Asuma had barely finished asking the question when Shikamaru had just scoffed and gave Asuma a disappointed look. “That’s really the best you’ve got? What a drag,” the kid said. 

“What’s your answer?” Asuma pushed. 

“Do you think just cause I’m a genin, I’m an idiot?” 

“No.” 

“Genin teams are made of three members.” The kid held up three fingers with an exaggerated show of effort. “The team assignments were carefully thought over and arranged. You’re not going to break us up.” 

“How can you be so sure? Teams can easily be reassigned.” 

“They haven’t in the past. I mean, InoShikaCho has been a long standing tradition at this point. They weren’t broken up.” 

“It’s a new part of the system.” 

Shikamaru slumped to sit down on the grass and looked up at the sky like it was more interesting than Asuma. “Unlikely.” 

“If you don’t answer the question, it’ll be you who gets sent back to the academy.” 

Shikamaru hummed and didn’t look bothered. “Nah, I don’t think so.” 

“Take this seriously!” 

“Oh, I am.” Shikamaru slowly stood back up and looked at Asuma. “I think you’re the one here that isn’t. It’s clear that you’re setting us up. It was a sloppy effort but I can see the intent behind it, I guess. I know some of the teams will be sent back to school, I can do the math. This is a test, that’s obvious, and your goal is even more obvious.” 

“And what’s that?” 

“If I said I’d send Ino or Naruto back, I’d fail. I’d show that I valued my own career over theirs. That I didn’t respect the teamwork we’ve already built up over today.” Shikamaru shrugged and gave an impatient kick at the grass. “What a drag.” 

“So you think you’ve passed?” 

“Yes, but it wouldn’t matter if I did or didn’t in the long run. If you send me back then you’d lose Ino and Naruto too.” 

Asuma shifted his cigarette and asked, “What do you mean?” 

Shikamaru finally emoted something beyond annoyance and reluctance. His eyes sharpened and his voice became heated. “We’re a team, Asuma-sensei. Where one goes the others follow.” Then he smirked and added in a humorous mocking tone, “Believe it.” 

Asume just shook his head and dismissed the kid. 

Naruto was next. Asuma figured he’d be the weak link. The kid wasn’t bright, as far as Asuma could tell. He wouldn’t see through the test like the others. 

“Who should go back to the academy?”

He expected some shouting that ended with an actual answer to the question. Instead, as soon as Asuma finished his last sentence, Naruto went still. The boy hadn’t stopped moving all day, but now it was like he’d been struck with a paralysis jutsu. 

Asuma took a physical step back when Naruto’s chakra began to lash out around him. The chakra was suffocatingly strong and boiling with an intensity Asuma had never felt from anyone. Naruto’s face was flickering between anger and fear and resignation. It was dizzying to watch so Asuma gave up on trying. Instead he looked at Naruto’s hands and how they were balled into fists. His heart gave a small lurch when he saw the blood dripping from the kid's curled fingers and onto the grass. 

When Naruto’s head snapped up to glare at him, Asuma jolted in place. “I worked hard to get here, Asuma-sensei, because I believed that shinobi were brave and powerful enough to change the world. I looked up to anyone who wore this headband.” Naruto pointed at his own and the blood on his fingers made Asuma swallow. 

“But if this is what is expected of the ninja of this village, to betray a comrade, then I’m sorry but I don’t respect that or you. You can send me back to the academy then and I’ll go gladly! Believe it!” 

Asuma hurriedly explained that no one would be going back and found himself apologizing to the infuriated boy. Naruto’s resulting abrupt change of mood was also startling. He slingshotted so rapidly from fury to innocent excitement that Asuma struggled to keep up. When he dismissed Naruto, with congratulations, he was relieved to be alone and away from the three genin. 

He sat down on a stump and sighed. What the fuck had just happened? When his sensei had tested his team like that, it had gone as expected. Not like whatever that was. 

What had he gotten caught up in here?  
  


(3)

Ebisu was familiar with training children. He usually worked with pre-genin but genin weren’t all that different. InoShikaCho was a well known and respected shinobi trio so he expected little problems babysitting Asuma’s team for him. Even if the Cho was replaced with a Naruto Uzumaki. He would not be bested by an obnoxious brat. 

“You again?!” Naruto shouted as soon as Ebisu stepped onto the bridge where they usually met Asuma. “What are _you_ doing here?” 

The Nara - Shikamaru, Ebisu reminded himself - barely glanced up before he asked, “Where’s Asuma-sensei then? Mission or Hokage business?” 

Ebisu looked over at the third member of the trio to find Ino Yamanaka sitting by the creek and fixing her hair in the reflection of the still water. “He’s been put on a tracking mission with Kakashi and Genma. Should be back in a couple days.” Ebisu cleared his throat and clasped his hands together behind his back. “Until then you will have me as your sensei. I assure you I have much experience in molding young members of this village into full fledged and powerful shinobi.” 

“How do you know him, Naruto?” the girl asked from right beside Ebisu. He was a trained shinobi and did not flinch at her voice but he also didn’t see her approaching him. She was very quiet. 

“This is the guy that went airborne thanks to my sexy jutsu. He’s just a pervert!” 

“That jutsu is ridiculous and objectifies women!” Ino argued. 

Naruto responded with his own shout, “Iruka-sensei said a shinobi uses any tool that works! And my harem jutsu put this guy flat on his back!” Naruto pointed at Ebisu as if he was a disgusting insect. Ebisu stiffened. 

“That’s a bit of an exaggeration I would say,” he said. “I was merely unprepared for such crass use of shinobi arts.” 

“See? It’s a crass use of shinobi arts, Naruto,” Ino taunted. She gave Ebisu a once over that felt more intrusive than he felt a child should be capable of. “Though I’m not surprised something like that would work on him.” 

“Now, see here, children!” Ebisu snapped. He could feel his cheeks were on fire but he just pushed his authority into his voice. “I am an elite jounin, surely even you know what that means? I am a trusted ninja of this village and I am only here teaching you as a favor.” 

“So what, we should be grateful or something?” Naruto asked with crossed arms and an expression that was closer to a pout than a glare. “That’s not fair, why’d Asuma stick us with you, what’d we do wrong?” 

Ebisu sighed and straightened his back even further. “Naruto Uzumaki, I promise you would see I am a strong shinobi if you would step away from your obnoxious attempts to undermine me. It’s unbecoming of a ninja.” 

“So is passing out from blood loss after Naruto’s dumb sexy jutsu,” Ino pointed out. 

This was fine, he was okay. Children liked to act out and rebel. They didn’t respect authority figures because they didn’t understand the implications of what authority meant. He just had to shock them out of their dismissive behavior and into training mode. 

“How about we make a deal then, Team 10.” 

Shikamaru shifted a little on the railing and said, “I’m listening.” 

“To prove I am capable and worthy of training you three, I will give you a task. If you can fulfill the task then you will get a day free of training. How’s that sound?” 

“What’s the task?” Ino asked skeptically. 

“To get away from me. You will run and after a couple of minutes I will follow. If you manage to lose me then, well, I can’t make you train then can I? If I catch you, then you will listen to me and get on with the training Asuma wanted you all to do.” 

“Heck yes, this will be easy!” Naruto said. He beamed at Ebisu so brightly that the jounin felt the need to squint even behind his sunglasses. 

“Yes,” Ebisu agreed with amusement, “for genin of your caliber I would expect nothing less than success.” 

Shikamaru slipped off the railing and neatly to his feet. It looked graceful and ridiculous at the same time. “Time limit?” he asked. Those previously squinted or shut eyes were now attentive and trained on Ebisu. He was surprised by how much they reminded him of Shikaku. Not the family resemblance, Shikamaru was the spitting image of his father, but because they both had the same sort of shrewdness to them. Hyper-focused and more intense than Gai’s smile. Ebisu blamed Shikaku for it. 

“Time limit?” Ebisu repeated in confusion. 

“How long do you have to catch us? When do we ‘win’ and get to come out of hiding?” 

Ebisu hadn’t thought that far ahead. “One hour, let’s say.” 

The Yamanaka took a step toward him and he looked down into wide blue eyes and an unsure expression. “You won’t hurt us, right, sensei?” 

Ebisu started and replied quickly, “Of course not, young Yamanaka. Your families would be most upset.” Ino’s unsure expression morphed into one of anger faster than Ebisu could process. 

“We’re more than our clan names.” Ino backed up to stand next to her blond teammate.

Shikamaru sidled up to the other side of Naruto and gave a similar glare of frustration. Naruto wasn’t glaring, he was just looking… well, confused. 

“Sounds like a good deal to me,” Naruto said into the tense silence. 

Ino brightened immediately and gave Ebisu a smile that was all edge and a promise he didn’t understand. Then in the next blink her shoulders were pulled in a little toward her chest and her foot was scuffing at a loose board on the bridge. She looked up with that unsure expression once again and asked, “Are you sure, sensei? We wouldn’t want to show you up or anything.” Her smile turned mocking and her shoulders drew back into a haughty pose. Ebisu was honestly a little unnerved. 

“Yes. A shinobi never says something they don’t mean.” 

Ino scoffed at him. The Nara boy was the one to step forward and hold out a hand. Ebisu took it and tried not to crush the small appendage in his own grip. “Deal,” the boy said solemnly. 

Shikamaru then exchanged several rapid hand signals with his teammates. Ebisu only caught a couple of them. _Report. Regroup. Three._ He had enough time to be impressed that they were so fluent in sign language before they scattered in three different directions. They were fast, but not as fast as him. He decided to go after the Yamanaka girl first. 

She’d headed in the direction of the village, undoubtedly an attempt to use the bustling activity as a cover for her movements. Unfortunately for her, it also meant an easy to access high vantage point from the many roofs. 

Only when he got there, he couldn’t find her. She wasn’t running through the streets like a panicked child. She wasn’t meandering through the market area to blend in. He even checked the Yamanaka flower shop but he found nothing. 

She must have turned around and gone the same direction as the boys. He’d been tricked. He was as impressed as he was annoyed. He doubled back and headed for the trees. Naruto had gone west and Shikamaru northwest. Ebisu split the difference and made his way through the trees with a simple but effective search grid. They wouldn’t have gone far, not beyond the training grounds at the very least. As he searched, time passed, until fifteen minutes had slipped by and all he had to show was a small twig in his left sandal. 

Half of the allotted time limit had gone by and Ebisu had a dawning feeling of apprehension. 

He decided to use chakra tracking, a far more detailed jutsu than he had ever intended to use, but an effective one. A highly advanced jutsu he had learned in the Land of Waves. He blew through the hand signs with utmost precision and soon he could feel the pull of three chakras. He smiled and took off running. All three were leading back to the village. He frowned and wondered how that had happened, but decided it didn’t matter. 

Only when he hit the edge of the village the chakra trails diverged into dozens of them. Ebisu groaned as he realized the Uzumaki brat’s signature move was shadow clones. He spent precious time sorting through all of Naruto’s trails to find Shikamaru’s and then began to follow that. As he ran, Ino’s and Naruto’s trails began to converge together into one. His apprehension melted into anticipation as he narrowed in on a small apartment with an orange tile roof. There was a small garden set up outside a large window frame. The frame itself was cracked and the paint on the wooden walls was peeling. More importantly, the window was open and the trails led directly through it. 

He hopped inside to find a one room apartment. Instant ramen cups littered the counter top and a few white t-shirts were flung around on the floor and minimal furniture. A moment after he’d processed such details he felt a tell-tale tug at his own chakra. He’d triggered a ward. 

Ebisu desperately made to jump back out the window but wards weren’t known to be forgiving. His feet were glued in place, and Ebisu may have made a mistake but he wasn’t an idiot. Only one person could make a ward that strong and would bother to make one for the blond brat. This was Iruka’s work. 

He closed his eyes and waited for the full trigger, with Iruka it could mean anything. He’d once seen Iruka incorporate Kakashi’s chidori into a seal trap meant for an enemy nin. The academy sensei was merciless. 

Nothing happened. He opened his eyes to find Shikamaru leaning against the inside of the front door. Because of the size of the apartment they were only a few feet apart. “I disabled it, don’t worry.” The kid was holding something in his left hand. As soon as Ebisu noticed it, Shikamaru tossed it over to him. 

Ebisu caught a small metal cooking timer. It was ticking along ominously and there was one minute left. 

“I still found you,” Ebisu pointed out. He was still a little short of breath.

“Mm, you found me, I guess. But only because I stopped the ward from encasing you in stone. Or maybe this one was a fireball, I can’t really remember.” Shikamaru gave Ebisu an eerily familiar smile. It was Shikaku’s ‘got you’ smile. “Ino and Naruto aren’t here though, they’re over at T&I visiting her father. It’s a bit of a coincidence, but the T&I building and basement have chakra suppressors. Convenient, right?” 

Ebisu stared. 

“I knew at first you’d try to follow us on your own. So I separated the three of us. But we regrouped at the spot Asuma always declared to be a safe zone- Ichiraku’s. Then it was a simple act of Naruto creating a few dozen shadow clones to slow down your chakra tracing. I’ve read about those, there are a lot of different techniques, and your confidence in your ability to find us led me to believe you knew at least one. It was Ino’s idea for us to hang out at T&I, good insight on her part, but I elected to stay here.” 

The timer in Ebisu’s hand went off shrilly, dinging loudly for a long ten seconds as he realized what had happened. He’d been bested by three children. 

“Someone had to explain it all to you, right? Couldn’t expect you to just put the pieces together yourself. I was rather proud of the plan to trap you in a warding too. I’ve always wanted to do that. So I guess this was sort of like training, wasn’t it? Troublesome.” 

Shikamaru took three steps forward and gently took the timer away. Ebisu hadn’t even noticed but his hand had started to clench and damage the little thing. Shikamaru looked at it and gave him a glare as he set it back down on the kitchen counter. 

Shikamaru moved to the door and opened it. “I win,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ll be seeing you.” The door almost closed, but then just a few inches away from the frame it stopped in its path. “By the way,” the Nara added. “The wards will reset once this door closes.” Shikamaru continued on his way and Ebisu had never jumped out a window faster. 

There was a small bucket of paint just outside the windowsill that he stepped in during his haste to get away. It hadn’t been there when he’d gone in, he was sure of that. 

It was also bright orange. 

Ebisu vowed to move this memory to the same location as the sexy jutsu. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(4)

Hiruzen Sarutobi was a renowned shinobi with a list of accolades and achievements longer than his Hokage robe. He was the leader of the strongest shinobi village in the lands, and he was sitting behind his desk looking up at his son with a sinking feeling of cold dread, all because of a twelve year old. 

“So Naruto has finally exhibited symptoms of the seal weakening then?” he asked. Asuma nodded and Hiruzen closed his eyes and let the dread wash through him before pushing on. “This was meant to be a simple escort mission for a poor bridge builder. How did the swordsmen of the mist get involved?” 

“Well, just one swordsman, really,” Asuma corrected. Hiruzen sent a glare at his son. The younger man just shifted his cigarette over to the opposite side of his mouth, and with a puff of smoke said, “Shit happens, Hokage. My team handled the situation well, even Naruto. Hell, especially Naruto.” 

“You say you saw the beast’s chakra, that doesn’t say ‘handled’ to me.” 

“Naruto showed no signs of the chakra hurting him physically or mentally. He just tapped into the source inside him in a moment of crisis. He saved Shikamaru’s life.” 

“Yes, the young Nara was in an ice mirror jutsu, you say?” Hiruzen hummed in thought, he’d never heard of such a thing and it worried him. 

“Shikamaru had managed to slow the other young ninja down with the shadow possession but he was in no condition to finish the fight. Naruto was able to hold them off long enough for it all to play out. I was the one to land the finishing blow on Haku, but I can’t really take credit for something I hadn’t intended to do, though I will take the responsibility.” 

Hiruzen hid a proud smile and gave a grave nod of his head. “Your team members, Ino Yamanaka and Shikamaru Nara, how did they ‘handle’ Naruto’s condition?” 

Asuma gave a huff of breath that was 80% smoke and 20% amusement. “Hell if I know, Hokage-sama. Ino could give me a dozen different reactions and I wouldn’t know which to believe and Shikamaru plays everything close to the chest. If they had thoughts about it, they didn’t voice them to me.” Asuma shrugged and then added, “I’m pretty sure Naruto is oblivious to what happened.” 

Hiruzen raised a skeptical eyebrow at that but then thought of Naruto and admitted it wasn’t beyond the boy to miss the obvious. Especially when he couldn’t actually see the changes in himself. “I think I need to speak to Ino and Shikamaru then.” 

“About what?” 

“If they’re going to be on the same team as the jinchuriki, then they shouldn’t be ignorant of the possible consequences. Yamanakas and Naras both understand the bigger picture and your genin seem clever enough to shoulder the responsibility of the truth.” 

Asuma coughed into his fist and Hiruzen watched with suspicion. Asuma didn’t look worried like he’d expected his son too. “I don’t think that will be necessary.” 

“No, they deserve to know. Besides, I’m sure Shikamaru, or rather Shikaku, might have some ideas on how to best contain a similar situation as this in the future.” 

“You don’t need to talk to them, Hokage, they’re already--” 

“I know you’re protective of your genin team, Asuma, but this is an outlying predicament we find ourselves in. Naruto has become a safety concern, for himself, his team, and the village.” 

There was a stiffness in his son’s expression that reminded him of the child that found it hard to show respect to his old man. “Hokage-sama, I don’t think the conversation you want to have is going to go the way you expect or want it to,” Asuma said carefully.

The Hokage ignored his son and said, “You will send Ino Yamanaka and Shikamaru Nara to me immediately. I trust you will be able to deal with whatever emotional repercussions this conversation has on them.” 

Asuma made that strange huffing noise again and Hiruzen realized it was a badly hidden laugh. His son gave a bow and walked out the large double doors, presumably to go find his genin. Hiruzen grabbed his pipe and began smoking with an earnestness he hadn’t given the task in months. 

It was only a few minutes later that there was a knock at the door, and then Ino and Shikamaru entered the room. They quickly and quietly approached the huge desk he was sitting behind and stood at attention. They looked like their parents. Long blond hair and a constantly moving gaze for the young Yamanaka. A posture that was barely up to code and the purposeful blankness from the Nara. It was like having Inoichi and Shikaku in his office a couple decades ago. 

“Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, something has come to my attention, and to yours, that I do believe you deserve the truth on.” Hiruzen steepled his fingers together and leaned forward with his elbows resting on his desk top. “It involves Naruto Uzumaki.” 

There was a shift in the air as both genin zeroed in on him with a focus that spoke of their family’s training. Really, just so very much like their fathers. 

“On your last mission, did you notice anything in particular about your teammate? Specifically during the fight with Zabuza and his disciple?” 

He watched as Shikamaru’s posture went a little more slack around the edges, pushing the boundaries of disrespect further. Ino’s eyes went wide and her mouth pinched in slightly with confusion. “What do you mean, Hokage-sama?” Ino asked. 

Hiruzen sighed and said matter of factly, “What I’m about to tell you concerns your teammate, and now by association, you. Speaking of this matter beyond these walls is considered treason and is punishable by the law. Has been for the last twelve years. Is that understood?” 

Ino and Shikamaru exchanged a glance that felt heavy even to him. Then Ino’s face lost that affable confusion and she said, “We already know Naruto is the jinchuriki, Hokage-sama.” 

Hiruzen was floored for a long moment. Then Inoichi and Shikaku both came to mind. 

“Our fathers didn’t tell us anything,” Shikamaru provided. “They were as infuriatingly vague and obtuse about the whole thing as you demanded they be.” 

“Then how?” Hiruzen demanded. The whole mess posed a severe security risk, if mere children had unraveled the secret then… 

“At first, I actually was stumped,” Shikamaru said as if that was some sort of comfort. “Nothing about Naruto’s living situation or treatment made sense--” 

“Still doesn’t,” Ino interjected. 

“Ino!” 

“Just saying, geez!” 

“As I was saying,” Shikamaru stressed. “Naruto has lived alone in an apartment funded by the village and is given a monthly stipend by none other than you, the Hokage himself. Add in his terrible treatment by the rest of the village, and it raised some major red flags.” 

Hiruzen nodded and motioned for the Nara to keep going. It was a family trait, apparently, to drag out explanations. 

“Naruto, a _child_ , was hated and feared to the point of isolation and ostracization. He had no one until we came along. So, if he had no one, how did he have such a strange family name? Uzumaki isn’t a common title and it’s certainly not one of the names the orphanage assigns their kids.” 

Hiruzen swallowed as he thought of red hair and a fiery temper. 

“You let him keep his mother’s name, Hokage-sama. If you truly didn’t want people figuring out who he was, then that was a grave mistake.” 

“I couldn’t take anything else from him,” Hiruzen defended weakly. “I couldn’t take away his mother’s influence entirely.” He glanced at Ino to find an accusing gaze. 

“After that, it was easy,” Shikamaru continued, not responding to Hiruzen in any way. The old man wasn’t even sure the kid had heard him speak. “Turns out an Uzumaki woman married the Fourth. Both the Yondaime Hokage and she died the day of the Kyuubi attack. Kushina Uzumaki was pregnant that night.” 

Hiruzen almost flinched at the name. It’d been so long since he’d heard her name said out loud. Fourth, forgive him. “And Naruto…” he started. 

“Naruto knows,” Ino said. 

“For how long?” Hiruzen asked as he closed his eyes and leaned away from his desk and into the back of his chair, as if that would hold his shattering calm in place. 

Shikamaru scoffed and then said, “How long ago did he stop visiting you, _Jiji_?” 

Hiruzen half heartedly tried to hide his wince but he was too tired to do it properly. “Any mention of this is treason,” he reminded the kids. 

Ino shrugged and her eyes widened once again and gave her a softer look. “We didn’t know that at the time.” 

“Besides, I didn’t tell him he had a nine-tailed fox inside him. I just told him about his mother,” Shikamaru pointed out. “When he asked how I knew, I simply gave him all the records I’d found. The stories of the chakra beast attack made its way in there… the Yondaime himself too. It took a while…” 

“Months!” Ino cut in with exasperation. 

“But Naruto put the pieces together himself.” 

Hiruzen’s heart sank even further. 

“It did him good, you know,” Ino said severely. Her expression when he looked up at the genin was just as unforgiving. “It was a relief when he finally found the secret behind why he was treated worse than dirt by a village he loved and trusted.” 

Hiruzen lowered his gaze to the desktop. Here he was, the Third Hokage, some argued the most powerful Hokage of Konoha, being chewed out by two genins. And damn if he didn’t deserve it. 

“Naruto is a risk to everything around him,” Hiruzen warned. “The fact that the Kyuubi’s chakra is bleeding through into Naruto means the seal is weakening.” 

He had hoped for some sort of alarm or surprise from the two in front of him. But Shikamaru just shrugged and Ino popped her hip to the side a little with her hand placed on it. “We know,” she said. 

“And you weren’t going to bring it to my attention?” he demanded, finally getting his metaphorical feet back under him. “The Kyuubi nearly destroyed this village twelve years ago.” 

“Twelve and a half,” Ino corrected. “We know.” 

“What she means, Hokage-sama,” Shikamaru said. Hiruzen moved his attention away from the irate kunoichi to the stoic Nara. “Is that we are highly aware of what Naruto holds inside him. His chakra, it’s…” 

“Wild,” Ino supplied. 

Shikamaru nodded. “The two of us are also the most familiar with the individual in question. If Naruto were struggling, we’d know. Fact is, when the Kyuubi’s chakra boiled over in Naruto on that bridge with Zabuza, it didn’t feel much different than Naruto’s normal energy. It was more powerful, yes, but it was also familiar.” 

“So?” Hiruzen prompted. “If your goal is lower my concerns, you’re doing a very poor job of it.” 

Shikamaru sighed with his whole body like taking the time to explain to the leader of his village was more than could be asked of him. But he also explained. “I mean that the chakra beast isn’t pulling the strings. It’s not hurting Naruto, in fact, it’s just protecting him. The seal may be weakening, but Naruto is only getting stronger.” 

“You think Naruto can beat the Kyuubi?” Hiruzen asked in surprise. 

“I think they’re not exactly separate,” Shikamaru corrected. 

“Look,” Ino interjected harshly. “Get someone to look at the seal if you want. Strengthen it or whatever, but frankly, now that Naruto knows the thing is there, I don’t think it’ll do much good. This is Naruto we’re talking about.” 

“He’s as stubborn as his mother was,” Hiruzen agreed with the hint of a smile. Shikamaru and Ino’s faces darkened considerably. He didn’t know what to say now. He had just intended to warn them, get them to come to him if Naruto’s condition worsened. Maybe pull in their fathers to get a plan rolling for the outcome of Naruto’s seal breaking. 

Asuma was right, this didn’t go the way he thought it would. And his damn son had known that his genin were privy to highly classified information. Hiruzen rubbed at his eyes roughly. His son had trained his team well. They were smart and vicious, and like any good shinobi, they were protective. 

“If Naruto shows any signs of the Kyuubi getting the best of him…” Hiruzen prompted. 

“We’ll deal with it,” Shikamaru said. It wasn’t at all what the old man had meant, but he figured that it was probably the best he was going to get out of the two. That didn’t mean he’d stop trying though.

“ _We’ll_ deal with it,” he corrected. “I mean Naruto no harm, believe me. But he is a danger to us.” 

“No he isn’t,” Ino argued. “He’s _Naruto_.” 

“The Kyuubi then.” 

Shikamaru nodded and replied, “We want what’s best for Naruto, Hokage-sama. We’ll make sure he’s safe and contained if necessary.” 

Ino gave a short bow of agreement and added, “Hokage-sama.” It was the first time she’d shown him any respect since Naruto’s name had passed his lips. It didn’t feel like forgiveness. Especially not when her eyes were still just as icy. 

“Dismissed,” Hiruzen ordered with a wave of his hand. 

Ino immediately turned and left the room, her every step was as loud as the words she didn’t get to say.

Shikamaru hesitated however. He shifted in his spot for a long moment before he gave a soft bow and a respectful, “Hokage-sama.” Then he followed his teammate out. 

Hiruzen closed his eyes when he heard the door close. All he could see was red hair and the Yondaime's disappointed gaze. Regret was something Hiruzen was familiar with. He believed one couldn’t hold a position such as his without accumulating regret and shame. But maybe, this particular brand could have been avoided. If only Ino and Shikamaru had been around twelve _and a half_ years ago to tell him so. 

  
  
  
  
  
  


(5)

When she’d sent the request for a leaf shinobi escort home, she’d expected...more. What she got was three bickering children. Their voices alone were enough to alert the enemy they were there, not to mention the complete lack of concern they seemed to exhibit. The blond girl was constantly humming and stopping to either look at her reflection in a puddle or pick some flowers by the road. 

The boy with the ponytail had nothing to offer but complaints and he just laid down in the back of the cart her horse was pulling. The only sounds he made during the journey was when he deigned to curse about the road or the sun or whatever damned thing. 

Naruto, though, Naruto was the worst. He just kept talking and moving, and shouting and running. It was exhausting just to watch him. Actually responding to him was even more trying and she tried her best to remain aloof and apart from any of them. This trip was leaving her feeling more attacked than protected. 

“Emika-san,” Naruto said loudly. “Your home in the Land of Bears, what’s it like?” 

She sighed and tried to pretend like she hadn’t heard him. 

“Emika-san? Hello? Can you hear me?” 

“Unfortunately,” she responded. 

“So?” 

“What?” 

Naruto pouted and prompted, “Your home. What’s it like?” 

“I don’t know, Naruto. It’s home, it is what it is.” She wanted nothing more than a few minutes of silence. They still had several hours on the road today and another full day of travel tomorrow before they reached her city. 

Naruto looked thoughtful. “I understand that, I think. Konoha is hard to explain, isn’t it? It’s just where I’ve always been, and I haven’t actually been many other places, so how do I explain that?” 

“How about you don’t?” she mocked. 

Naruto rubbed at the back of his neck with one arm and turned his face away from her and toward the sun. “Yeah, alright.” 

A feeling of unease rippled across her shoulders and she looked behind her to find the girl glaring at her. “Can I help you?” Emika asked petulantly. 

The girl’s expression cleared into one of curiousity. “Do you remember my name, Emika-san?” 

“Does it matter?”

Ino shrugged and looked away. Ino, because she did know the girl’s name. Naruto said it enough it’d be hard to forget even a decade from now. Ino’s left hand was dirty and holding several bright wildflowers. Emika wished the girl would stop spending so much time on her precious flowers and more time looking for danger. 

Ino said, “Your name stands for blossoming flower.” 

Emika nodded, her attention returning to the path in front of them. “I’m aware.” 

“Do you know anything about flowers?” Ino asked and her voice was much closer to Emika than it was before. Emika looked over at the girl. She was holding the flowers out to Emika and up close she could see all the black soil caked under the girl’s fingernails. It seemed out of character for someone so vain. 

Emika blinked as Naruto disappeared in a burst of movement ahead of them. “Where’s he going?” she asked in annoyance. 

Ino just shrugged, “Oh, you know, he has to burn off energy every once in a while.” Then she wiggled the flowers in Emika’s face again. Emika shoved the arm away from her and glared at the girl. The blond wasn’t even looking at her though, instead she was twirling gracefully in place and letting the flowers fly through the air. Blue eyes caught hers and Emika stumbled a step. 

“I don’t know anything about gardening,” Emika said dumbly. 

Ino nodded sagely, “I know.” She bent over and plucked another flower from a tuft of tough grass by the roadside. “For instance, this flower is only found in the western parts of the Land of Fire, where the ground soil retains particular minerals that harden the water and make other species of flowers incapable of growing. It’s a hardy plant and nearly impossible to eradicate once it sets its roots down.” 

Emika shrugged and said, “Sounds annoying. A weed.” 

“Maybe,” Ino hummed more than said. Ino’s eyes were moving again, over the trees, along the path, up at the sun. Over and over again, like a pattern. 

Emika found herself looking for Naruto in the next moment.“Is he going to come back?” she asked and gestured in front of them in the direction Naruto had run. 

“Not until he’s done,” Ino replied. She trotted off the path and into the trees for a few moments and returned with another plant, this time a sprig of berries. 

“And what are those?” Emika asked. 

“These are Weston berries, they’re popular in winter pastries.” Ino handed the sprig over and added, “They’re perfectly safe to eat if you’re feeling peckish.” 

Emika’s stomach was starting to tingle with nerves and she curled her lip in disgust at the thought of eating anything. “Suit yourself,” Ino replied with a flip of her long hair. She let the berries fall to the ground in front of the cart. The wheel crushed them in the next second. 

When Emika looked back up she nearly screamed at the sight of the third genin standing just in front of her. When had he moved from the cart? Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t heard him muttering to himself in quite a while. 

“Ino,” he said. 

“Shikamaru,” Ino responded. Then Shikamaru moved his hands in a series of precise patterns. At first, Emika thought he was doing a jutsu of some sorts, but nothing happened. Ino nodded her head and asked, “Twenty ticks to the east?” 

Shikamaru just nodded, gave Emika a lazy salute, and then backed into the shadows of the trees around them. Emika wasn’t overly fond of trees. In the Land of Bears they didn’t have the huge hulking things like Konoha, they had cherry blossoms and rolling plains of soft grass. She couldn’t wait to leave the intimidating wall of forest behind them. They’d been walking for a few hours so it shouldn’t take too much longer to get to more familiar grounds. 

“What’s twenty clicks to the east?” she asked. 

“Nothing,” Ino replied. “I’m moving our trajectory twenty clicks to the east. Shikamaru said that there’s a branch in the path ahead, so we’ll take the eastern path.” Ino began humming again but Emika noticed her eyes were still moving from the trees to the path to the sun. That pattern never ceasing. It bothered Emika and she spent a few minutes trying to find what the other was looking at or for. It was just trees and dirt though. 

“What’s going on?” she eventually asked. Shikamaru and Naruto had yet to return and an instinct she couldn’t name was perking up inside her. Why did the others have to choose now to leave? Right when they might be of some actual use. 

Ino shot her a quick smile and a wink. She held up one finger to her lips and winked once again. It wasn’t the reaction Emika had expected. She swallowed heavily and moved her eyes forward again. She wished she could see farther around them. The trees were too thick to see more than a few feet. The path itself was blank and hilly. 

Thinking about it more closely, she glanced around herself, shouldn’t they have left the trees behind them by now? And the land should be flattening out not getting hillier. ‘ _This flower is only found in the western part of the Land of Fire,’_ Ino had said. The Land of Bears was to the east. Emika’s heart tripled its pace as she tried to surreptitiously look all around herself. 

A soft touch to her elbow made her jump and spin around to find that the culprit was merely Ino. “Stay calm, Emika-san.” 

“We’re going the wrong way!” Emika complained, her heart still thundering. 

Ino looked back to the sun. “Yes, we are,” she replied. “And we will continue to do so until Naruto and Shikamaru give us the signal. So please, Emika-san, keep looking forward. Foot after foot.” 

“What?” Emika gasped. 

“Foot after foot, my lady. Breathe.” 

Emika bit her tongue and walked. She tried to ignore the shaking of her legs and hands but she just felt so exposed and weak. Ino came to a stop and Emika froze in place as well. In front of them, laid out across the road were two bodies. Unconscious or dead as far as Emika could tell. 

“Troublesome,” Ino said beside her. 

Emika looked over to the blond with wide eyes. “What’s going on?” 

Ino frowned at the bodies for another long moment but then sighed and replied, “We’ve been moving through a genjutsu for four hours, my lady.” 

“Breaking it would only alert the enemy,” Shikamaru said from her other side. Emika shrieked and twisted around to find the boy standing with a slouch and his arms crossed over his chest. There was a small cut across his right cheek and blood on his shoes and arms. “And given we didn’t know the numbers of our enemy or intentions, it was better to play along. Ino’s been tracking where we are for the entire afternoon. Thanks to her I was able to adjust our path to head toward a safehouse without giving away our knowledge of the genjutsu. We’ll be there by nightfall.” 

“And the enemy?” Emika asked. 

The only reason she didn’t scream as something came flying right at her was because she recognized the eye searing orange jacket. Naruto screeched to a halt in front of the three of them. He grabbed an arm of one of the bodies and threw it over his back. Then did the same with the other. Ino started moving again, pulling the horse along with her, as soon as the path was clear. 

Naruto disappeared back into the trees with one last blinding smile.

“The enemy is regrouping and licking their wounds,” Shikamaru said. “We should be at the safehouse by the time they finish up.” 

“Yeah, we sure showed them, right?” Naruto exclaimed from the back of the cart. Emika clutched at her chest. These children needed to stop moving so quietly and quickly. She was going to die of a heart attack before they got to wherever this safe house was. Naruto jumped down and skipped over to stand between Emika and Shikamaru. “These guys,” Naruto pointed at his teammates, "are so smart, so don’t worry. I didn’t realize we were even in a genjutsu, but they did, right away. Been tracking where we really are and everything! Isn’t that so cool?” 

Emika nodded weakly and tried not to stare at the blood on Naruto’s sleeve or the bandage wound around his calf. And to think she’d been mocking him just minutes earlier.

“The safehouse is right up ahead,” Shikamaru said. He made more hand signals, that Naruto and Ino both understood somehow, and then he ran ahead. 

A couple of minutes later there was a harsh shout from far ahead of them. Naruto and Ino both stiffened and stopped in place. Then Ino was flipping a knife out of her bag and darting in front of Emika. Emika winced at the harsh sound of metal hitting metal and then watched in horrified fascination as several shuriken fell to the ground in front of the blond. Those were meant for her. She would have been dead and none the wiser for why. 

Naruto put his hands together and with an incomprehensible shout there were suddenly twenty orange clad figures surrounding her. Ino moved through them and away from Emika and into the trees. One of the Naruto’s looked back at her and gave her a thumbs up. “Don’t worry, Emika-san, we’re the best!” 

Naruto then burst into a cloud of smoke as a knife hit him in the chest. Emika screamed and jumped back only to bump into another Naruto. The circle closed in around her and then every hyper-active Naruto bent their knees and took on an intensity she hadn’t thought the kid could maintain for longer than a second. The whole thing was utterly surreal and happening within a few short breaths. 

The light of the sun rapidly dimmed and she looked up to find the sky showing signs of dusk, not afternoon like it had moments before. The trees around her shimmered like a mirage and then fell into darkness as well. Despite the heavy foliage and darkening sky, she could still see darker shadows within the trees darting back and forth. Some of them were orangeish. 

There were clinks of metal as shuriken and other sharp weapons were deflected. Every once in a while one of her protective-detail-Narutos would poof away into smoke, but more kept running from the trees to replace them. If she listened hard enough she could hear more sounds coming from up ahead. Shouting and the thuds of what she assumed was combat. 

“What a drag!” she heard Shikamaru practically shout and then Naruto’s booming laugh echoed around her. The laugh she’d been hearing all day as he laughed at his own jokes. It had rubbed on every last one of her nerves then, but now she was so thankful for the proof that he was still there. Or the original one, at least. 

Movement to the left of the circle made Emika jump. Air built in her lungs for a scream as she realized the movement was someone running straight for her. She bit the sound off a second after the scream escaped her as she recognized that long blond hair. 

“Emika-san,” Ino greeted with a smile, as if she wasn’t holding a sharp knife in one hand and sporting a new spreading bruise over one eye. She looked just as comfortable holding the weapon as she had those flowers earlier. “We should keep moving. Follow me.” 

Emika wanted to protest that moving would mean getting closer to the fight, but the Naruto circle was already moving with Ino. Emika found she couldn’t find her voice anyway, so she meekly trotted with them. 

They moved slowly and cautiously as a group. The forest was falling quiet now and the sun was entirely gone. The moonlight wasn’t enough for her to be able to see any of the rocks or holes in the dirt path, but it didn’t seem to phase the others. Well, some of the Narutos tripped sometimes, but she couldn’t tell if it was over the path or over themselves. 

The walk was somehow scarier than the standing still. The sounds of battle had faded away almost entirely, but there were still the occasional tussling sound beyond her vision. A deflected attack by Ino or one of the Narutos. How many people had come to kill her? How had just the three of her protectors dealt with what sounded like a small army, all alone? 

Ino’s hair smacked into Emika’s arm a few times and each time she expected the girl to yell at her for it or to go run and find a new puddle to look at. Ino’s focus never wavered away from the trees. 

Eventually she saw a small squat building at the top of the nearest hill and she sighed in relief. As they drew closer she saw Shikamaru leaned casually at the door frame, his eyes on the forest beyond them. “Welcome home, Emika-san,” he said quietly with a light touch of sarcasm, as he gestured for her to go in. 

A fire was already roaring in a fireplace near a small kitchen area. Emika collapsed next to the warmth and shivered. She wasn’t cold but the fire was still comfortingly warm. She wondered why. 

She spaced out for a while but the next time she came to herself she looked around to find all three of the genin inside with her. Naruto was collapsed on a dusty couch behind her, his legs sprawled over the arm and kicking at the air. The bandage on his calf was gone but his sleeve was still damp from where blood had been scrubbed away. 

Ino was pressing flower petals in an old book that she must have grabbed from one of the shelves around them. She was humming again and Emika found the song to be upbeat and hopeful sounding. Shikamaru caught her eye and moved from his place in the kitchen to her side. “It’s dealt with,” he said softly. “All that’s left is to rest and get moving again tomorrow.” 

“We’ll have you home in no time, Emika-san!” Naruto exclaimed and gave her an upside down thumbs up. 

She wanted to ask questions and she also really didn’t want the answers. She just wanted to be home in her safe city where no one knew genjutsu. 

“You asked me about my home, Naruto,” Emika-san said. She looked over at the fire that was still burning just as high as before. “I think I know how to describe it now.” _Safe and secure._ Smelled like clear water and sunshine, not dirt and blood. The moon glinted off of gold trellises on the buildings, not puddles of mysterious substances. The only sound of metal on metal was the trotting of horses over bridges. 

“Oh yeah?!” Naruto jumped up from his spot on the couch and fell onto the floor next to her. How did he still have that much energy? He’d killed for her earlier that night and yet his smile was just the same. “Maybe listening to you talk about your home will help me figure out how to describe mine.” She could already do that for him. _Dangerous_. 

“Are you going to listen or talk?” she asked with a smile. 

Naruto’s eyes widened and Ino laughed in the background. Emika let herself relax. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


(+1)

“And my squad is number 10. Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Naruto Uzumaki. And now I, Asuma Sarutobi, recommend all three.” 

He took a strange satisfaction from the whispers that erupted after he finished speaking. All the rookies would be heading to the chunin exams it would seem. He wasn’t surprised when both Kurenai and Kakashi recommended their teams. Shikamaru had given him a pretty good report on five of those genin. And Kurenai and Kakashi were excellent jounin. But they were both visibly surprised by Asuma’s recommendation. 

Asuma just smiled. He couldn’t blame them, he’d done the same. Thinking they were a mishmash of talents, a misfortune of the Nara, Yamanaka, and (to a lesser extent) Akimichi clans. In reality, they were the strongest genin he’d ever seen. 

“Hold on, just a minute!” Iruka cried out. “All due respect, Lord Hokage, but eight of these names were my students at the academy. I know their skills and abilities. Every one of them shows great promise but it’s too soon. If they take the exam now, they’re all sure to fail!” 

Kakashi turned to respond but Asuma beat him to it. “Iruka, right? 

Iruka gave an irritated nod. Asuma just smiled and blew out some smoke. “You had them as individuals. They learned by themselves for themselves. I’ve had them as a team. I can’t speak for the other two here, but that made all the difference for my kids.” 

“Are you sure, Asuma?” Kurenai asked with concern. “Your team is… unique.” 

Asuma just laughed and gave her a wink. “And they’ll prove it too.” He turned to Iruka. “All due respect, Iruka Umino, but they’re my team now, not your students. They’ll surprise you, I promise you that.” 

Iruka didn’t look comforted but he did look interested. 

…

**Author's Note:**

> About Shikamaru figuring out Naruto's jinchuriki status, I see the timeline as follows:  
> Shikamaru and Ino know something is wrong for several months. Shikamaru gets increasingly upset that he can't find out the why behind it, and ruthlessly researches.  
> Shikamaru figures it all out a few months before graduation and clues Ino in.  
> They then decide to give Naruto the resources to figure it out and a couple months after their team assignments and before Zabuza, Naruto finally puts the pieces together.  
> So Naruto basically stopped visiting the Hokage after they became genin.  
> Anyways, I hope that wasn't too confusing. I was basically just sprinkling mentions of it through both works, but I promise it makes sense!


End file.
